Got "two" (at Gap) for the price of one (at J. Crew)

I have a love affair with army green khaki. If you have read my blog in the past, you know that I have many items in a similar shade of green. From army jackets, to khaki pants and shorts, this is the color that is my "other" chambray. It is a timeless neutral that isn't so neutral and it seems every year it is back in style. With that in my mind, I have had my eye on the J. Crew skinny cargo pants for months. When I heard the pants were on sale, I tried them on in store. Green olive, however, did not make it's way to my store's sale rack. Although I tried on both the aubergine and sand colors, they just didn't "do it" for me. The price tag ($59.99 - 25 off) wasn't screaming my name either so I left empty-handed. (J. Crew's rather bland clothing in recent months been very good for my wallet. Another post for another time.)

After leaving, I made my way into GAP which was having a 30-off store-wide sale. I wanted to see what I might grab from the sale rack and, lo and behold, I found both of these terrific skinny style olive khaki pants. Since I couldn't decide which I liked more and the price was right, I bought them both! (For reference, they are called the skinny mini cargo skimmer khakis and skinny mini skimmer khakis)

If you look closely you will notice that they are different. One is more of a straight legging style with only welted back pockets. This would look great with a long top. The other is more of a cargo style, very similar to the one I wanted from J. Crew. The price for each after discount was around $18. I felt better buying both knowing I would have spent more on one pair at J. Crew. And frankly, these pants fit me better than the colors I tried at the Crew.

After, I meandered into Banana Republic, which was offering an extra 40 percent off already reduced items plus an extra 10 percent for cardholders. There, I bought the Soft Wash Dot & Stripe Button-Down Shirt ($30 after discounts) and the Issa Collection envelope clutch in Cognac ($30 after discounts) I was concerned to see some of the clutches had scratches, so I was careful to choose the clutch with the least scratching. I plan to put some leather protectant on it. I love the safari cat print on the inside lining. It has also has a structured feel to it. I expect this will be a great bag for spring, but the deep neutral color will allow me to use it in the summer and fall.

Have you felt the J. Crew selections have been rather bland and overpriced? (My wallet is secretly happy!) Did you take advantage of the sales at Gap and Banana Republic this weekend? What are your thoughts on these items? I love to read and respond to your comments!

Gilt City -- J. Crew Factory coupon

As much as I am TRYING to stay out of J. Crew (and I am -- I don't even carry my card with me anymore!), it is pretty hard when I keep learning about these storewide discounts from Gilt city.

Gilt city is a website where you can get various items for less for a limited time, or a coupon off a store (which is the case with J. Crew Factory.) The voucher I received (free) last week was for 40 percent off at Factory, so I had to go take a look.

I didn't spent much -- my two clearance items came to $30 total with the voucher. I picked up a pair of hot pink Matchstick jeans (because THIS girl needs every color of the rainbow, apparently!) and the shoreline striped dress, which is an incredibly lightweight jersey knit sundress that will be perfect for 90 degree weather. (Apparently, there will be such a day tomorrow where I live!)

Although the 40-off was a one day voucher, there is still a 25-percent off deal that is good until next week. Click here for the offer. It's definitely worth a visit to the store.

Cranberry and pink color combo

It's the WEEK-END and I am so happy. What a hectic week last week was!

Shopping has been minimal these days so my posts are not that frequent. I did manage to grab two blog-worthy items. Both have similar hues of cranberry and pink, which seems to be a trend right now.

The first item is a color block clutch from The Limited. I grabbed it during one of their 50-off the entire store deals. They offer these sales for a limited (no pun intended) number of hours every once in a while, and I usually get a heads up about them in an email. The clutch was normally $49.50 but I paid half of that. I just loved the deep rich colors and thought it was be a great fall (or even winter) bag. I became so into clutches this year; when going to dinner or a family get-together they make so much more sense than a huge bag. I also liked the quality of this clutch and I expect to get some use out of it.

The next item is one I "slept on" --- I didn't love it the first time I saw it and when I eventually changed my mind, I found that I had waited too long. The tiny dot tee from J. Crew Factory reminds me of this scarf that I bought last Labor Day. I suppose that is why I wasn't in love with it because I already had the scarf. But as someone who owns multiple Heartthrob and leopard print items, I should know by know that different items have different uses.

What do you think of these items? Do you love the red/pink color combo as well?

J. Crew Factory purchases

Happy September! (Where did summer go?)

I've been pretty "good" about not shopping for the last few weeks, so there hasn't been much to post on my shopping blog. I did, however, grab two items from J. Crew Factory lately and they are worth sharing.

The first item is the Factory's cotton shift dress in Cerise (a blood orange color). It was a dress I had tried on when it was full price . My issue was the long straps -- I knew I would need to have them altered and that didn't seem very cost-effective. Weeks later when I saw the dress in clearance, the last of its kind and color in my size, I decided to get it. I still need the straps altered, but I think I will hold off on that until next spring. The rest of the dress fits great, and it cost $30 after all discounts.

The other item I bought at the Factory was even more exciting: a denim Madewell shirt! I've never seen Madewell items in my local Factory store, although I do remember reading about this particular item on Life is Short ... Buy the Shoes. I've blogged about Madewell before ... it is a store that is very hit or miss for me. I do, however, think their denim items are classic and the Rail Straight Jeans that I bought earlier this year are among my favorites. The item is called Western Jean Shirt in Nightsky wash. I think the shirt looks better in person than in this image.

I tend to purchase medium sized shirts to avoid gaping at my chest, but I was able to buy this shirt in a Small which makes it look flattering to my body.

I am thinking about stopping by Factory later, being that it is a holiday today and I have no plans for any barbecues. I can't believe school starts tomorrow! Truthfully I am excited for this year because I was fortunate enough to find a new job. Nevertheless, I want to make my last day off from work count!